Bearing for sliding doors or the like



y 1944- N. D. THOMPSON 2,353,976

4 BEARING FOR SLIDING DOORS OR THE LIKE Filed May 28, 1942 "I 2 9 10' gi, 6 f5: 5 1'3 y 3;" m 7 $719 fivezzz azt Patented July 18, 1944 THELIKE Norman D. Thompson, Milwaukee, Wis. Application May 28, 1942,Serial No. 4i4,782

1 Claim.

My invention relates particularly to a bearing for the sliding doors offreight cars and has for its general objects th provision of a simple,practical and rug ed bearing for sliding doors or the like, whichinvolves in anti-friction bearing for ease of door movement, whichprovides the anti-friction bearing at the bottom of the door insupporting relation therewith, thus minimizing the tendency to cock thdoor where the door is pushed or pulled at the bottom thereof as isusually the case in the handling of freight car doors, and which issusceptible of being mainly constructed of formed sheet metal.

Referring to the drawing- Figure 1 is a partial side elevational view ofa freight car, the sliding door bearing of which embodies my invention;

Figure 2 is a partial and vertically condensed sectional viewsubstantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial end elevational view of the anti-friction bearingof my invention substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinally condensed top plane view of a portion ofthe anti-friction bearing of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, l designates the vertical side wall of afreight car which is provided with a usual door opening 2, and 3designates a sliding door for closing the door opening. See Figures 1and 2.

A lower wall bearing track 4 of generally semicircular cross section isfiXed on the wall I, as by screws 5 extending through a verticallyextending side edge flange 6 of the track, and extends along the loweredge portion of the door opening 2, as best shown in Figure 2, and thistrack provides an upwardly facing lineally extending concave bearingchannel 1.

A lower door bearing track 8 of generally semicircular cross section isfixed on and extends along the lower edge portion of the door 3, as bythe concave surface 9 thereof being seated on the correspondingly convexsurface III of the lower edge of the door and secured to the door byscrews H extending through this track. The downwardly facing surface l2of this track 8 provides a transversely convex bearing surface which isof lesser radius than the bearing channel I of the track 4 and whichprojects thereinto.

A plurality of bearing balls I3 are interposed between the tracks 4 and8 within the channel I, and a transversely arcuate spacing and retainingmember l4 extends lineally between these tracks in correspondinglyarcuate relation therewith and is provided with lineally andtransversely spaced apertures l5 through which these balls project formaintaining the same in spaced relation lineally and transversely of thespacing and retaining member. These apertures l5 are of lesser diameterthan that of the balls I3 and engage the same in opposition to the track4 for retaining the balls.

The track 8 is provided with two lineally extending angularly spacedradial flanges l6 and H at the opposite edge portions thereof which areslidably engaged respectively by the opposite lineal edges ofthe spacingand retaining member l4 to correspondingly position the spacing andretaining member and with it the balls l3. The track 4 is provided withdrain apertures l8 spaced longitudinally thereof, and stops 19 areformed on this track at the opposite endsthereof and are oppositelyengageable by the ends of the spacing and retaining member l4 to limit,movement thereof.

Usual door stops 20 are provided on the car wall I to limit movement ofthe door. The track 4 is, of course, of sufilcient length to accommodatethe movement of the door and the spacing and retaining member is oflesser length so that it is movable with the door at one-half thevelocity thereof.

An upper wal] bearing track 2| of generally semi-circular cross sectionis fixed on the wall I, as by screws 22 extending through a verticallyextending side edge flange 23 of this track, see Figures 1 and 2, andextends along the upper edge portion of the door opening 2 inparallelism with the track 4 and provides a downwardly facing lineallyextending concave bearing channel 24.

An upper door bearing track 25 of generally semi-circular cross sectionis fixed on and extends along the upper edge portion of the door 3 inparallelism with the track 8, as by the concave surface 26 thereof beingseated on the corresponding convex surface 21 of the upper edge of thedoor and secured to the door by screws 28 extending through this track.The upwardly facing surface 29 of this track 25 provides a transverselyconvex bearing surface which is of lesser radius thanthe bearing channel24 and projects into this channel for sliding engagement therewith forguiding the upper edge of the door, the track 2| being of sufficientlength to accommodate the movement of the door.

While I have thus described my invention, I do not wish to be limited tothe precise'details described, as changes may be readily made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent thefollowing:

In a sliding door bearing, the combination of a first bearing track oftransversely arcuate cross section providing a concave bearing channe1and provided at one side thereof with an extension flange adapted to besecured to a Wall structure, a second bearing oftransversely arcuatecross section providing a convex bearing track having a lesser radiusthan that of said channel and projecting intothe same lineally of andbetween said tracks in corresponding arcuate relation therewith andprovided with lineally and transversely spaced apertures through whichsaid balls respectively project for maintaining the same in spacedrelation lineally and transversely of said spacing member, saidapertures being of lesser diameter than that of said balls and engagingthe same in opposition to said first track for retaining said balls,said second track being provided with two lineally extending angularlyspaced radial flanges at the opposite edge portions thereof and slidablyengaging respectively the opposite lineal edges of said spacing memberto correspondingly position said spacing member and with it said balls,and stop formations at opposite ends of said first track and oppositelyengageable by said spacing member to limit movement thereof lineally ofsaid first track.

NORMAN D. THOMPSON.

